Redcurrant pavlova

Preheat an oven to 180 degrees/gas 4. Line three baking sheets with baking parchment and draw two 8in circles and one 7in diameter circle on them.

In a bowl, whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form, then whisk in the sugar, one tablespoonful at a time, until stiff peaks form when the whisk is removed.

Sprinkle the cornflour, vinegar and vanilla seeds over the egg white, and fold in lightly with a metal spoon.

Spoon the meringue onto the baking parchment within the marked circles, using a spatula to flatten the top and smooth the sides. Place in the oven and immediately reduce the heat to 120 degrees C/gas ½. Cook for an hour, then turn off the oven and leave the pavlova in the oven to cool completely.

Once cool, remove the meringue bases from the oven (you can keep them in an airtight container for a couple of days or store in the freezer for up to one month).

An hour before serving, assemble the pavlova. Put the redcurrant jelly into a small bowl and stir it with a spoon to loosen it, then pass through a sieve to remove any lumps.

Fold the cream, icing sugar and most of the redcurrant jelly together; reserve two tablespoons of the redcurrant jelly to drizzle over the finished pavlova.

To assemble, place an 8in circle of meringue on a serving plate, top with half the cream, sprinkle with redcurrants; top with next 8in circle and the remaining cream, sprinkle with redcurrants, followed by the 7in top layer.

Pile the remaining cream on top, decorate with redcurrants and drizzle with reserved redcurrant jelly. Give it a good dusting of icing sugar before serving.